Is Society Really That Terrible Today?

 Great day to wake up and shovel snow.....said no one ever. Seriously though, it felt good to get up, stretch a bit and take care of some snow on the ground, it can be quite riveting. A lot of people today talk about how bad our society is as a whole and how back in the day, things were better. Some of these same people are those "make America great again" types that just never caught on. Yes there are pros and cons, rights and wrongs with how society has evolved or devolved in some cases but is it really that terrible?

Societies rise and fall all the time and we won't be an exception. Yes social media has it's fair share of issues when it comes to people of certain varieties but let me ask you a question....For those who like to cry MAGA or think society was better during a certain decade, do you really want to go back to a time where women couldn't vote? Go back to a decade where soda was in ads that featured babies, doctors telling people to smoke to lose weight, where a woman was practically a slave to a man, where someone with different skin couldn't or didn't have the choice to sit in an empty seat in the front on a bus, where a "just say no" campaign never statistically worked and drugs were running rampant? That's more than just one question I get it.

Not every kid is shooting up a school, not every attention monger is on social media and not every celeb or pro athlete is an asshole or does drugs. We have become so angry with what others do that we forget that this isn't the only time in history where people wanted attention, where a person with great influence actually did something good and an athlete is celebrated for his accomplishments, not what he did outside of his chosen sport. Society today does have problems and there should be accountability for sure but do we really have to hold those accountable for even trying to do something decent like I don't know actually showed kindness and compassion? 

I think the real issues are not always in Black & White. Everyone isn't always protesting about something in their community but everyone does have a story no matter how boring or extreme and some people go down a wrong path, some thrive and become successful but no matter how you put it, there will be others who want to destroy someone's way of life for god knows what reason. Society as a whole isn't perfect, neither was any society anywhere at any time, it's flawed, it's crude and downright awful at times but there are great times too, places where people take care of each other regardless of your background. 

Now, are there a bunch of dumbasses living among us?  Of course, you can't have a society without a bunch of morons roaming around, sometimes they can make things entertaining but more often than not, they teach us lessons that we don't always realize like what not to do and what lines you don't cross regardless of the circumstance because it is important to realize what really matters. Not everyone survives that but what doesn't survive, something that comes along will, it can be a vicious cycle but also some beauty comes out of it depending on what it is. 

When I was growing up in California, I saw crazy things go down and been around alcoholism, survived an earthquake, survived meningitis, seen what people are like on drugs and observed some really shady dealings. Been around kids of all shapes and sizes and while some I knew lived great lives, others had very toxic people around them and went down dark paths and knew a couple people who've killed themselves. Seeing and being around some of that, you'd think I would be another statistic and go down a path of drinking like many I knew, getting into drugs and all that, well I didn't and there were times in my life I thought about it but something never kicked in me to drink like a fish or smoke like a chimney or do enough drugs to not care about the world around me. I've seen terrible things in society but I never lost sight of what amazingly awesome things happen in society as well. It doesn't make me special or anything, just that I do understand where someone is coming from at times.

Not everyone has it easy growing up in various societies and communities no matter where you are whether it's a rural area, conservative, liberal or whatever. Deep down, some of us will choose life in a very different way than what statistics say and others naturally or forcefully go down roads that very few will ever climb out of. Make your choices and do what works best for you and the people around you. Do the best to your abilities to be there for someone and show compassion until there's a reason not to be and protect each other. Societies rise and fall all the time and very rarely has there ever been a society that wasn't divided in some form. It takes work but at best, live your best life and don't try to destroy someone else's because it's not in your bubble.   

Getting Stronger Without Needing To Go To Failure

 It's easy to get caught up in that warrior mentality of pushing yourself so hard that getting sore, going to failure or even getting injured is considered a badge of honor. Now, I'm not saying don't challenge yourself or half-ass a workout by going through the motions, train to make yourself stronger little by little because over time, it adds up.

Unless you're a competitor, in law enforcement, the military or a pro athlete, pushing yourself to the brink is not always the way to go to make yourself better. When I performed feats of strength such as nail bending, hammer levering, tearing phonebooks or shaping long pieces of steel, I would hammer out what I could do and sometimes I pushed so hard that I did injure myself on a few occasions. Luckily nothing was damaged to where I couldn't do anything but there was a price to pay. 

I believe in training hard without question, however; you can only go as far as you're willing to go and it's important you keep your mental game and body awareness in check. We understand that if you get hurt and you can't keep up with your responsibilities, you're no good to anyone but do we really get what that means? I'm lucky I'm able to train every single day without failure but when I got hurt, I have to adapt, modify and improvise at times in order to do things to help others plus still take on responsibilities that are asked of me. 

Strength is not just physical but mental as well and it's important we understand the differences and similarities between the two. We learn how to progress and do so at our own pace, not the same as everyone else because everybody is different and if we act on the same progressions and the same pace as everybody else, it's not going to pan out well. We learn as we go along and find our strengths and decrease our weaknesses little by little. 

Some days are easier than others but as we pace ourselves and pay attention to our energy, our awareness and the way we can recover, our strength in certain areas will go up even by a 1/10th of 1%. Some never see that or want to think that it's possible, if they're not stronger at a 5-10% increase in a day, they see it as a failure and not a success. Success eventually happens and failure is more of a lesson than a defeat. Now, this isn't the same if you're a policeman, a soldier, a fireman or whatever, if it comes down to life and death, failure can be fatal so building strength and awareness is a completely different area. You train for a specific purpose and do everything that's possible. 

Work on building your strengths little by little. You may fail at some things and you may push to the brink where you can't hold on or move anymore (which I highly don't recommend) but never give up on making yourself better even by the smallest fraction because the tiniest or most microscopic improvements can make the biggest differences in what happens next. 

The Hammerman Now Walks Among The Elite In The Heavens Of The Old-Time Strongmen

There are strongmen and then there's Lawrence Farman. A man who admired the legendary strongman figure of Joe Greenstein, AKA The Mighty Atom and worked hard as hell in the rock quarry, breaking stones and rock day in and day out since the early 50's until he late 90's or so. In between, he learned the craft of strongmanism; bending steel, breaking chains and driving nails through boards. His most unique feat was the reason for his nickname, The Hammerman. The Lifting and Levering with the heaviest sledgehammers that would make John Henry's jaw drop.

When it comes down to records and what someone can achieve, Slim The Hammerman was above and beyond the very fathom of what it means to achieve a level of strength the way he did. His strength and prowess among the strongmen of his time and generations after almost sound like it should've been myth, but in fact was not only very real, made it legendary in ways that put him in a class that should be in the ranks of Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Ed Strangler Lewis and Paul Anderson. 

Slim passed away at the age of 87 and although he is gone from this world, his spirit will live on in the memories and hearts of strongmen the world over. I regrettably never got a chance to meet him but I did have a phone conversation with him once a few years back thanks to fellow strongman Chris Rider. We talked about Atom and Slim's life and how he achieved financial success in his work. How he lifted the hammers using a mental technique he perfected and gave me advice on what I can do in my own strongman endeavors. It was an honor to even talk with him and swapping stories, my favorite is how he gave his high school the bird as he walked out the door and made something of himself.

For all intents and purposes, his records in levering will never be broken. His world record of lifting 2-28 lb hammers that were attached to each other is not only unbelievable, but the mere fact that his wrists weren't even 100% when he made the feat. He achieved this in the mid 70's at Madison Square Garden as the Atom watched by his side. He was also a man among giants, at 6'6 and a max weight of 230 lbs of pure muscle that was sinewy and the toughest of tendons and ligaments anyone could ever thought of. His grip was so powerful that men in recent years who've shaken his hand can attest to the incredible strength he still had. 

Slim, you were a man among men, a strongman's strongman and one of the hardest working people the world had ever known. RIP big man and say hi to the Mighty Atom for us. 

Work With Isometrics To Prevent Injury As Much As Possible

It's snow season and it's that time of year where in many parts of the country (and areas around the world), shoveling snow is practically mandatory. Some use Snow Ploughs but for the most part, a shovel is their only hope to get rid of snow when it's dumped on your car, covered up around your door step, your backyard or the driveway. When you're not use to exercising and you don't have a choice but to shovel snow, it can be very difficult on some people and they can hurt themselves or worse, have a heart attack (it does happen more often than we care to admit).

It's a blessing that I've never been injured shoveling snow and it's actually one of my favorite forms of exercise. For a decade now over the winters here in Idaho, snow shoveling has been a big factor in how my fitness is being tested and although it's something many people do, how many get hurt doing this simple task? Depending on your area and how wet and/or heavy the snow is, it can vary in weight and how your body handles the stress. It's hard work at times but it can be quite fun.

At our house during the winter, I'd be up around between 5 and 7am working the driveway so my wife can get out in the morning to head to work. When the ploughs would come by, at times they'll inadvertently create a berm that blocks the driveway which at times creates heavier snow to move. It's a pain in the ass but you do what you need to do man. I'm one of those few people who actually loves to shovel snow and gets a lot of satisfaction out of it. Put some music on, twist, turn, lift, carry and have a blast. Often I'd be shoveling multiple times a day so the conditioning really kicks into gear. 

Now, what do Isometrics have to do with shoveling snow. For one, when you have to twist and turn, you're using muscles not normally used so the joints surrounding those muscles need to be strong and durable otherwise you're running a greater risk of injury. Number 2, Isometrics can be a key ingredient in how you can maintain and even increase the strength of your tendons and ligaments in order to be efficient, fast and have suppleness/flexibility so you can get the job done without hurting yourself. Does shoveling snow to be considered manual labor? I'd say so and it's important to have a solid level of conditioning and strength because if you don't cover all the bases, there can be complications. 

Isometrics have been a staple for many for centuries and most today can't understand how valuable and even necessary to train with Isometrics. A priority as a human being, is to be strong and conditioned at just about any given time and gives off a sense of honor when it's used to help others and not just as a individual. I love training with Isometrics because I can work so many angles in a short amount of time and strengthen those weak areas I might have and be able to gain strength from places most don't think can get strong. 

Isometrics don't just strengthen joints, muscles and the tendons & ligaments, they provide somewhat of a shield to prevent injuries as much as possible. We can't 100% avoid injuries but if we can reduce the risks as much as we can, wouldn't it be worth it. The amount of exercise for Isometrics is limitless but find what works best for you and make the most of what's possible to be as strong but feel light as a feather. That's the beauty of them, they can make you feel like you're walking on air, be faster, move with greater ease and handle physical stress in a better fashion. Read up on my article about Isometrics building a structure like Wolverine's Adamantium Skeletal Structure. 

Isometrics are truly the lost secrets of building incredible strength and the greater we can build on them, the better we can handle other tasks in life. Be strong from every angle imaginable and enjoy the fruits of fitness in an awesome way. 

Overcoming Isometrics: Isometric Exercises for Building Muscle and Strength (The Train Smarter Series)

Isometric Power Pulse Method

Super Isometrics for Maximum Strength and Muscle Gain

Developing The Isometric Mind : All 7 Volumes

Taking Ownership Of Your Fitness

We are our own self critics and have a hard time making certain things our own. Taking ownership of something is not just about responsibility and making it a priority, ownership is when you are driven to make the most of what is possible and making it not just your own but providing the means to keep it for yourself. From a fitness point of view, ownership is not so much of running a fitness brand or making videos, it means you put in the work and making the most of what is possible.

From day one, my priority to myself is being as fit as I can be to live a quality life, make it interesting and fun along with using it productively whenever I can help others. The beauty of ownership in my eyes is not just being responsible for what I train with but also being to train however I wish at any given time. No one can take that away from me and I love what fitness has given me.

If you want to be in the best shape, it's up to you to get everything you can out of it and making it worth it for you. It takes work, there's no magic pill that will give you a 50 inch chest, 20 inch neck, 24 inch pythons or legs that can outrun a deer overnight. You want to be fit, you need to make yourself fit, no one will do it for you. You can have the best trainers or have the very best DVD's, Books, Podcasts or webinars that will provide you with the secrets and modules for a successful fitness transformation, but all of it is useless if you don't do something about it. 

There will be days where you may not want to work out or don't have motivation but if you take ownership and have the knowledge to get the most out of yourself, you can do something even for 1 freaking minute. If all you did for the day was a wall sit or 10 pushups, that's fine, matter of fact it's great because you still made something happen, that's still putting in work. Little by little down to the smallest fraction, if you put in the work, things will add up over time.

You know the old saying "health is wealth", well when you own your fitness and you hold onto it like Thor with Mjolnir, putting in the work provides greater income for your body. It's like running a business which can be hard and tough at times but with flow, harmony and acting as a team, things will be successful and you can run it with an ironfist because it is YOURS!!!!

Be successful in your fitness endeavors and everything else you do. We only have this life and it shouldn't be wasted. Help others take ownership for their own fitness and use that success as a driving force to be the very best for you.  Be amazingly awesome. 

Elderberry

Cardio Is For Girls And Conditioning Is For Men

 From a fitness standpoint, that sounds like Men Are From Mars & Women Are From Venus but in this case, only one word is needed....SEXIST!!!! 

During my workout this morning (260 Step Ups & 88 Ab Wheel Rollouts), things were rolling in my head and this was one of them. It's one thing to understand what an individual needs and how they adapt to certain things but to put two completely separate entities for different sexes is in certain cases, a crock of shit. Cardio is to get your heart rate up and keep it at a certain point. Most think cardio is using the treadmill or aerobics or spin classes but in reality, it's a little more complex than those things. 

Conditioning in this day and age means different things but for those playing the home game, conditioning is able to last for extended or even short period of time with gas left in the tank, at least from my point of view. There's even a thing called Cardiovascular Conditioning which means a person's stamina and strength have a lasting effect that can go for quite some time. Think of it this way, in a fight, if you get winded quick and can't even go very long, chances are greater that you'd be down much faster. 

Here's a simpler term of how someone "may" determine the difference between cardio and conditioning....30 minutes on a treadmill would be considered cardio but 30 minutes of step ups would be considered a level of conditioning. To me, if you can focus and control your breathing for an extended period of time or even for several minutes without a break, it's all relative to a certain degree regardless whether you're a man or a woman. 

I'm sorry but here's my outlook on this....Women have every right to be in as top condition as they can at the maximum of their abilities and there are some crazy stamina that women possess and it's not always from steroids or PED's. Some women can even outlast men in a lot of areas and pound for pound can be crazy strong whether in the beginning or the end. Biologically, yes there are different factors due to body composition and strength ratios, that's really the only takeaway but in the end, conditioning is what a man or a woman has a right to possess. I don't give a damn who you are, if you can outlast an opponent or even yourself and have a solid percentage of gas left in the tank, you're a bad ass and don't let anyone tell you different.

According to some people, cardio is only meant for women because it keeps their weight down and are not meant to strength train because god forbid if a woman has any strength that is greater than a man (because not every man is as strong as some women), manliness goes right out the window yet a man needs conditioning and lasting strength because that was what he was born and bred to do and if he's weak in any way, he's not a man, he's a pussy. I say fuck those people. Everybody has a right to be in the best shape at their maximum as natural as possible. If both sexes were in great shape and can do great things, what's stopping them from reaching their potential.

I'm getting off track here and going into a rant. Everybody is different and whether you're a man or a woman or transgender, non-binary, they/them or whatever, being in shape is your universal right as a human being and depending on your condition, it takes faster times, it can take longer to be in shape but regardless, you are awesome and whether you see cardio or conditioning as different methods or you do both, it's up to you what kind of shape you want to be in. Strength relies in all of us and it's up to you to make the most of it. 

Ashwagandha

Why Simplicity Has Its Perks

 It's funny how we tend to complicate things when it comes to exercise and fitness. The problem with the complications mainly is how workouts are done or interpreted from the magazines, the overwhelming feeds on social media and the "influencers" that think they know fitness but don't have a damn clue what the hell they're doing.

Some look at the basics as boring and actually believe they don't do much after mastering them. The question is, have you really mastered them? The basics not only lay the foundation but they're a guide to build true mastery which in terms of today's fitness enthusiasts, doesn't seem to be the nature of what it means to truly master something. If you get the basics down, it doesn't mean you don't need them anymore, there's always a way to make the basics harder but also to reflect on how you can successfully develop a solid program or workouts that gives you success in your goals.

Basics however, doesn't mean they're easy and how we see as basic, at times may be too advanced for some people, so we modify them to suit us and make us better. Many just want to jump into the advanced variations of workouts and exercises because they feel cocky and think they can handle it. If anyone can advanced so quickly and handle it without hurting themselves and have a clear head, they might as well be superman or wonder woman. We have to look at the basics objectively without overthinking the idea that they're too basic or simple.

Let's look at the Jedi as an example, even the most powerful were once padawans and had to learn how to control their movement, emotions and way to look at things from a perspective. Some advanced quicker than others but very few ever made it to Grand Master or even a highly advanced Jedi Knight if you look at how many Jedi have trained throughout the eons. Another example would be the Wizards of Harry Potter, all Wizards (and even moguls) started out learning basic spells, flying on the broom (like a nimbus 2000) and had to understand the difference of what to defend or attack. If they didn't have these basic skills, those like Dumbledore, Voldemort or even Harry for that matter wouldn't be able to pull off some of the amazing (and terrible) things they can do.

Simplicity takes on a life of its own when they are mastered and understood how to apply them for the individuals needs and goals. You wouldn't think picking up a heavy bag of flour is a big deal and doesn't do anything but in reality, you're using all sorts of muscles to pick it up and either hoist it over the shoulder or Bear Hug it and carry it to a destination such as the back of a truck, stacked up against other bags in a warehouse, going up a flight or two of stairs to deliver or whatever. Doing something so simple can actually kick your ass depending on what you do.

The perks of doing simple things from a fitness perspective is....

1. Mastering a skill 

2. It doesn't take a ton of thinking

3. Learning your body's mechanics to handle other tasks

4. Developing a sense of timing 

5. Working the body to advanced to other areas of either workouts or labor (or both at the same time)

6. It makes other methods interesting to learn once the basics are in your brain

Be simple in what you do as much as possible. Learn certain skills that give you an advantage in what could be useful down the road and use simplicity to avoid injuries as much as possible because if you get hurt, you're no good to anyone. 

Heavy Resistance Cables For Strength Training Without Barbells & Dumbbells

 Weightlifting & Weight Training have a place in the world of fitness and I prefer the classic courses like Arthur Saxon's The Textbook Of Weightlifting or George Hackenshmidt's The Way To Live and of course Dinosaur Training by Brooks Kubik. These books are the pathway to success in how the old timers trained and what made them successful.

Now as great as weights can be, not everyone can afford to buy weights for their home and some aren't interested but would like an alternative. Resistance bands are great for this because for one, they're light to carry around and two, you can use them to workout anywhere and create your own gym experience.

Some of my favorite exercises are with the cables, specifically the Lifeline Fitness Cables such as the TNT System, the Chest Expander & the Power Push-up . Just these three alone can give you a killer workout. Some of the best athletes in the world use cable training like this and have been successful with them. The chest expander in particular is an apparatus the old time strongmen used (back then using Steel Springs) to strengthen the upper body and even developed great physiques using them. The legendary Earl Liederman used them as part of his course that included Self Resistance exercises similar to Charles Atlas' Dynamic Tension course. Even the great wrestler Lou Thesz pulled an expander in his day.

The idea of being able to travel and still train with cables is a great way to keep yourself going without always relying on the gym. My personal favorite is the TNT System from Lifeline because not only can you do quite a few exercises from having it on the ground, you can hook it up to a door attachment and do exercises like you would use a machine at the gym. The big difference is with cables, you have to be stable enough to work the muscles needed for the exercises you want to do and that creates incredible core, back and leg work in addition to doing pulls, chest presses, sit-ups and even arm wrestling type movements. For the door attachment exercises, I like to go a little heavier than normal to really target the back muscles because for the most part, I do a lot of exercises that require more of the chest and triceps, so when I work my back to even things out, it pans out great with the cables.

During some workouts, I'll go heavy as I possibly can and with the the TNT Cables, I would do as much as 240 lbs. of Resistance which is two black cables and a magenta cable in the three slots of the handles. They have helped me get stronger in other areas of training. The very best workout I would do with this system is do supersets of various cable exercises with Step Ups; say do 5 sets of 10-20 curls and 20 step ups back to back with little rest and then go into presses and step ups,  attach the door increment and do sets of pulldowns and step ups. This would be done with a lighter set of cables for cardio conditioning purposes and target everything with very little rest in between rounds. Some of those workouts took as long as 40 minutes, brutal.

The heavier the resistance, the less reps you'll have to do (like that doesn't sound SO obvious) but when you start going into ranges of resistance that you can only do under 10 reps, you're swimming into some deep waters of strength training and you better be prepared to really push or pull because those cables will throw you off if you're not careful. You need a strong core to stabilize you so you're not being pulled around like a rag doll. 

I made a video yesterday doing Curls with the TNT Cables that are the two black cables (100 lbs of Resistance Each) and I did about 14 total reps (7 per arm) and that was hard as hell since I really had to squeeze and pull hard in order to get them up. These bad boys are no joke and I don't know if they're many people in the world who can do this. It was quite a feat that's for sure. You don't need to go heavy in order to get in a good workout, just medium sized resistance is more than enough for most people and condition your body like a mad man (or woman) and kick ass anywhere and anytime. 

Rocky VS Drago From A Certain Fitness POV

 Different ways to get in shape with all kinds of methods and programs. What sounds better or works better depends on the goals you're trying to achieve but where does it lie with making the person stronger and more conditioned? In Rocky 4, two athletes in total contrast to one another train very differently but still get strong and conditioned from their own perspectives. 

Rocky conditioned his body with wood chopping, running and crawling in the snow, dragon flys and upside down sit-ups in the barn and getting everything he needs with practical tools. Ivan Drago on the other hand, puts his body through a more scientific approach with drugs, isolated movements, hard punching that determines the amount of force that's struck and has a team of doctors and trainers that tries to make him more of a robotic machine. Who was the more conditioned boxer? If you ever saw the movie, you don't need me to answer that question.

In reality, both men in real life were (and most likely still) on the juice and doing that kind of training without it may not be possible concerning what their physiques looked like at the time. The true question is, which of these methods is more reliable and practical? From an old school perspective, the way Rocky trained is more manly and showcases what hard work using labor, bodyweight and unconventional resistance training does and what it gives the body. From a modern perspective and the way people go gym crazy is, Drago is king on this one. Weight Training, Steroids and heavy machine type workouts seems to be more of the norm. The funny thing is, back before steroids and machines were a staple (or even existed) Weights and the method Rocky used, co-existed and were the proponent of building and conditioning the human body. Separating them became the norm by the 1970's or even earlier as far back back as the 50's.

Let's take Steroids and Heavy Work on Machines out for a moment and focus on seeing the bigger picture from a realistic POV; both gym work and old school outdoors style workouts (Wood Chopping, Sledge Work, Carrying Live Weight ect.) have a place for someone who wants to achieve specific goals and both have proven to be useful for athletes and many everyday people. Neither are necessarily bad (if properly applied) since they're used by both men and women of all ages. Some have a preference and others have changed their style around to suit their needs and goals. 

Do what works best for you and do everything possible to achieve goals without the need for drugs or PEDs to help you build a quality life and body that is functional and full of vigor. From my perspective, I'll always choose Rocky because let's face it, as a character, he's far more relatable than Drago and kicks ass with a vengeance. 

Sprinting Like A Bear

Let me ask you a simple question....Would you rather do Sprints on two legs or do Quadrupedal Sprints?

Most who have trained in Football, Wrestling, Martial Arts or just playing outside would tell you running on two legs is easier to do. Using all 4 of your limbs is (literally) a different a kind of workout animal. Just to keep balance, you have to move enough to where your arms and legs are in sync with each other and unlike 2-legged Sprints, you won't get as far. On flat ground, you'd be lucky to get 20 yards in a matter of 10 seconds (I'm guessing) as opposed to let's say 100 in just over 10 seconds. 

Sprints in the Bear Crawl is a different level of conditioning and if you do them consistently, you'd be pretty damn rugged and a fat burning machine, not to mention having lungs that will make people's jaws drop. They're hard but they're so damn simple it's not even funny. Many can't grasp the concept of being able to move fast and coordinated in that position. Just try to do 10 seconds of a Bear Crawl Sprint and if you're not breathing hard afterwards, you're not human.

When I need a quick workout and can do it in my living space, I would do up to 20 Sprints in a length of 15 ft each (equivalent to 5 yards). Sprint up, walk/jog back and repeat. Sometimes just doing that is more than enough for a training day and you're getting a good sweat going and breathing like you're going to die.

It can also be done as a finisher to a workout to get that extra calorie burn and build muscle from multiple angles in one shot. I ask myself from time to time how many sprints can I do before I say I'm done, one of these days I'll give it a shot. Timed my workout yesterday doing 20 5 yard Sprints in 4:16, I don't know what the average time is for that workout or if anyone really times but at least it's under 5 minutes and it's a killer. 

Whether you're a weightlifter, crossfit maniac, bodyweight enthusiast or just want to test your fitness, Bear Crawl Sprints are a great workout and will knock down even the strongest of men and women. Get strong, get fit and kick ass in your training everyday whether it's a small one or a big one, get it done. 

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Double The Reps Double The Fun

 Been some time since I've done circuits from Darebee, ended up doing a couple recently and both were Martial Arts based (Punching, Kicking). The latter workout was actually quite invigorating, it wasn't too difficult but it wasn't a walk in the park either. With all the goofy and fun names the people who work on the site, it wasn't too bad. 

Normally when it comes to those kinds of workouts, I would switch things up or change exercises to suit me better and also stick to 7-10 rounds with the regular reps displayed but this time I took it a step further; I doubled the reps and went 10 rounds with the only break was a few seconds marking off the circuit. This took 22 min for the full workout and it a lot of muscle groups.

So as you can see, that would be a lot of total reps. When it was doubled, you're looking at 1000 Punches, 400 Squat Hold Punches & 200 Calf Raises getting at 1600 Reps for the workout. All I can say is, this is way cheaper than Tai Bo and you get just as much benefit if not more. Darebee is an amazing website that is dedicated to binging workouts for free that would challenge just about anyone. Some workouts are pretty easy and some will knock you on your ass, you never know what you'll get until you do it.

From Martial Arts to Military to HIIT and more, you're getting workouts that last a lifetime and can be adjusted to your level and you can choose to do their Extra Credit form of rest between circuits or getting in on forming your own program. Regular workouts, 30-90 Day programs, nutrition advice, basic forms of meditation and other stuff. It's a favorite of mine when I feel like getting into something different and adjust to my style. Check them out. If you feel like donating, they have that option or you can get their workouts in book form HERE.....

Have an amazingly awesome day and get going. 

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SAVE $30 ON ORDERS OVER $150 (CODE: FALL30)

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Happy Shopping (BTW, get FREE SHIPPING when you order $100 worth of products). 

These are awesome deals so jump in on some of the greatest supplements around. 

Want To Improve Your HEALTH? Take This Quiz And Save Big (Sale Happening Right Now)

 With everything going on in the world right now personal health has become the forefront of the conversation. This is why supplementation is important and having a trusted provider is even more important. Our bodies are our life, and what goes in our bodies can have astounding results.

I firmly believe in what Lost Empire Herbs has to offer when it comes to health supplementation and I am going to share my reasons with you. It is not every day I come across a company so dedicated to helping others that I want to let everyone in on the action.

Here are a few reasons (but keep reading because they just launched their biggest sale of the year and I don't want you to miss out).

Each product Lost Empire Herbs sells is INDEPENDENTLY LAB TESTED for quality and all the results are posted to the website for you to see.

There is a dedicated page on their website that breaks down the lab tests for heavy metals, it is even graded on a scale of A-F (obviously A is the best!). You can see those results here.

They provide a gracious 1-year return window. The process is quick and simple and done quickly with an online form.

The customer support team is top notch! They respond daily (no long wait times).

The education provided on each product goes above and beyond their competitors. 

This team really puts their time and dedication into everything they do. It shows in their reviews, customers are RAVING ABOUT THEM.

The GREAT NEWS is their biggest SALE LAUNCHES TODAY.

Save $50 on any order over $200 with code: FALL50

Save $30 on any order over $150 with code: FALL30

Save $15 on any order over $75 with code: FALL15

You can take their HERBAL QUIZ to determine what product fits your health goals in less than 2 minutes. 

Take that quiz HERE.

I also want to share some of their famous products with you so you can get an idea of what they are all about.

Phoenix Formula (Energy, Balance, Rejuvenation): This is an herbal formula of Pine Pollen, Shilajit, He Shou Wu, and Ant Extract. This formula is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that support energy, hormone function, longevity, and much more. This is a great daily supplement for men and women.

Pine Pollen (Nutrition, Hormone Support, Brain Food): With everything in it combined, you may find some of these incredible benefits. According to Chinese medicine, pine pollen enters through the five major meridians including the lungs, kidneys, spleen, heart, and liver. This superfood supplement is great brain food, loaded with antioxidants, detoxifying to the liver, and so much more… this is by far the most popular and well-rounded supplement in Chinese Medicine.

Tongkat Ali (Testosterone, Athletic Performance, Muscle Mass): Well known as one of the most POTENT TESTOSTERONE SUPPLEMENTS Tongkat Ali works within the body to stimulate ones natural production of testosterone. This is important for men over 30 as that is when the decline may begin. Optimal testosterone supports energy, muscle mass, weight regulation, and much more.

Ashwagandha (Sleep, Emotional Well-being, Thyroid Support): As a top Adaptogen Ashwagandha is mostly used to support healthy cortisol and healthy thyroid function in men and women. Ashwagandha can also help improve sleep & relaxation, neuroprotection, and cognitive function.

These are just a few of the over 50 products Lost Empire Herbs offers.

You may even find this as a good gift idea for a friend or family member (holidays are near).

This sale ends on November 5th, don’t procrastinate…

Start shopping now or take the quiz and find your match in less than 2 minutes.

Rooting for your health!

Special Offer (ends Nov 5th)

Save $50 on any order over $200 with code: FALL50

Save $30 on any order over $150 with code: FALL30

Save $15 on any order over $75 with code: FALL15

Natural T-Booster – BIGGEST Discount Of The Year

I have information that will help you and a huge discount available to your right now! 

For most men, testosterone starts diminishing around 30 years old… 

With many culprits to blame there are a few more common than others like hypogonadism, aromatization, medications, xenoestrogens and the list goes on, but we are going to focus on these today and how we can fight back against them!

Hypogonadism is when the testes simply quit producing a optimal, healthy amount of testosterone. Unfortunately, this can happen with age. Even the healthiest men can suffer from this.

Another is aromatization, this is the conversion of testosterone to estrogen… This really sucks because even if you have high T levels it can be deemed basically useless when the body thinks there is an imbalance of testosterone to estrogen ratio and begins the process of aromatization. That means buh bye to your “Free Testosterone” and we don’t want to do that. Free Testosterone Levels are much more important than just overall testosterone.

Another thing I want to mention before getting to a solution is medications and chemicals. While much of this cannot be avoided our bodies do suffer. For example, we experience massive amounts of hormone-disrupting chemicals daily from the air we breathe, the plastic used for food or drinking, soaps and shampoos used on our bodies and the list goes on. These also have a negative effect on testosterone.

So what is the solution?

I have a safe and natural one to share with you…

It is a Male Hormone Package developed by Lost Empire Herbs and it was created just for this.

There are a few herbs that have shown HUGE results for men just like YOU!!!!

Let’s cover these herbs and their benefits!

Pine Pollen Powder Tincture: “Most Popular” by far. Pine pollen in tincture form hormonally powerful and provide Sublingual delivery of androgens, DHEA and other hormones to your bloodstream. These are plant steroids which also CONTAINS naturally occurring testosterone… which is why this herb is getting so much attention.

… it’s an all-natural, drug-free way to boost free T, balance out hypogonadism and get into optimal male health.

You get both the powder and tincture to optimize the hormone boosting effects.

Tongkat Ali: This Ancient Herb can Boosts Free T Up To 440 %. Tongkat Ali is known to support men’s testosterone, hormone health and even help increase lean muscle mass. Increasing steroidogenesis also helps boosts sex hormones, especially free T and also stimulates DHEA (a critical hormone that’s necessary for balanced male hormones)

Nettle Root Powder or Tincture: Nettle Root is a Natural Aromatase Inhibitor. Aromatization is the conversion of male hormones into estrogen (BAD). This not only means you won’t get the benefits of the androgens, but it can actually be turned into something that works against you. While both men and women need estrogen (in different amounts) too much is typically a bad thing, contributing to estrogen dominance, especially of the worst kinds of estrogen-like estradiol. RECOMMENDED to TAKE WITH PINE POLLEN PRODUCTS

All these herbs are packaged up in one bundle.

Men’s Mega Hormone Package – AND if you grab it today, you can get the sale price PLUS take an extra $30 off with code: FALL30

That will come out to a total savings of $57.95

This is a healthy solution to a harsh reality. Low testosterone can affect mood, energy, sex drive, emotional well being and so much more…

Don’t let your low testosterone do that to you.

Learn more or grab your package today – USE FALL30 at checkout!

Do You Swing?

It's always fun finding something that peaks your interest or you want to try out certain things. I normally don't do swinging movements when it comes to training but I decided to give them a go by making a video of doing various swings (1 & 2 Handed) with different implements that hit different muscles but also at different weight. The way I was taught kettlebell swings was kind of funny by one of my friend's brother. I could rep out ok when it comes to the swings but they weren't a big priority.

One of the guys in my Isometric & Alternative Fitness group on Facebook was talking about Kettlebells and something got inside my head that I should get a video going of swinging not just the Kettlebell. It was fun actually and made it a bit of a Micro Workout. For the most part, swinging a Kettlebell can be beneficial but there's technique involved that should be trained properly so you don't hurt yourself. It's explosive and can get you into decent shape with practice. It was one of the things that helped Bud Jeffries with his big weight loss years ago.

The implements I used were the loadable Soft Kettlebell, the Thor Hammer, Sandbell & Darth Vader Kettlebell. They ranged from 30-70 lbs which is more than enough for most people and because of the change in how you hold them in order to swing, you are hitting muscles not normally associated with the typical swing. There's a pinch grip, a vertical grip and the normal grip. Doing these one handed can be tough especially with the hammer and sandbell, those made me work extra hard just so I don't drop them.

I might incorporate the swing into my training more since it's a fun move especially with the Vader one. A few rounds of that with sledge work and/or step ups, be a hell of a workout. 

I Will Be Iron By Bud Jeffries 

Hiking And Step Up Challenges

 Leg Conditioning can go a long way in how to determine your true level of fitness and not always how you look. Strength is always a good thing but how long does it last? A few minutes, an hour, all day? Some do Leg Work either for sports reasons, bodybuilding or to maintain some level of endurance and or strength endurance but what would the main point be?

Challenging ourselves is a good way to test our abilities but how often should you do them and the intent behind the challenges? People train for months on end to just compete in the Crossfit Games (don't get me started on that) or do a Tough Mudder or Spartan Race, so where does it end? The purpose of a challenge is not just doing the physical aspect of it but also where and how we set our minds to those challenges. My biggest purpose is to maintain a certain level of conditioning for whatever comes up at a moments notice and that's where I like to test myself with Step Ups and as recently (or at least for a time) hiking.

One of the Step Up Challenges I've done recently was doubling up the amount of reps per leg with the deck of cards. The most I've ever done with a deck doing Step Ups was 1000 and that was a doozy. I wanted to see what I can do by doing twice as much on a card and testing my cardio more than anything. For the cards I did, I made it to 436 and that was the amount I was willing to do that day. Normally with a deck for a joker would be 100 reps (50 per leg) but this time when that asshole came up I had to do 200 (ended up doing 2 sets of 50 per leg since it was my first tie trying it) and already had done a few cards prior that were 12-20 per leg. It was a hell of a challenge and sometime going to see how much further I can go.

As for the hiking, that was always fun for me. I've hiked around the mountains of both the east and west coast and some were pretty nuts like some in Lake Tahoe and in the Redwoods. A couple times now, I wanted to test myself to see what my conditioning would be like to hike up around here wearing my 40 lb weight vest. The first time was a couple weeks ago on a Thursday and just hiked up this hillside near the house that had some steep areas and came back which took about an hour, not too bad. Last week, I wanted to go even further, so I hiked up to a further area and just before coming back down, I went through a forest trail that's above the road leading to the lake and did a portion of that, than I went back to the hillside and back home. The whole hike/walk took 73 minutes which is one of the longest I've ever gone with a weight vest on. Came home covered in sweat like I was just under a waterfall and ended up losing 3 pounds in the process during that hike. 

Hiking is a great form of exercise but adding a weight vest to it is a whole other animal and I'm happy I got to experience it and can't wait to do it again. I love being in nature and seeing what's possible for me to do. Was I sore when I came back from that hike? I felt the affects but not to the point where I couldn't walk the next day. It's a hell of a conditioner and it was more of a mental thing than physical. After maybe the first 20-25 minutes, it felt smooth and my breathing was really good and the last 10 minutes or so, I had this burst of energy and was basically power walking back home and didn't feel fatigue. Maybe it was just adrenaline but I loved it. 

Test your abilities and see what's possible for you. Get out in nature and just experience what has to offer. Our world these days is just crazy and full of people hating on each other and not experiencing the beauty of things. Find the beauty and hold onto it. It is out there, you just have to look.